Because part 15 stations are not required to do or not do anything in particular regarding emergency communication, we are neutral.
By golly I think they got it Watson!! 😀
Indeed Carl, reality is a whole different realm and well outside of the box. As I kept pointing out....it is up to each owner/operator how they will proceed with distributing emergency information on their stations....IF they wish to do so.
Neat thing about the EAS is that it still uses the two-tone set right after the header data. It is easy to construct a decoder and connect it to a receiver tuned to a primary. If a real emergency happens, unlike the mere "tests", that two tone signal will be sent right after the header data and the tone decoder can trigger a relay or TTL and latch on a light or other indicator...siren perhaps?!! (boy that would be nice and loud in the studio to grab that operator's attention!)
It can also trigger a small audio recorder to capture the information sent for later analysis by the operator to pass along by simply opening up the microphone and announcing the information.
RFB
You guys are all too smart for me (I say that
with SOME humor, but I don't know how much.)
It would be cool if a decoder could be easily built.
The primary station could trigger it. In my
imagination - several receivers and decoders
would be what I would do if I could. Then the
receivers would all come alive in the shack -
from all the different stations. If I was there
I could listen to the different stations or turn
on the TV.
There could be an automatic part to this
involving my station. If the receivers trip
into the "live" mode it could trigger something
else.
Since my station has only had 3 listeners (me, my
son, and my friend who heard 1690 kHz on his car radio when
driving around town) an audio tone that we would
all recognize would be fine. Or MAYBE (and I mean
maybe) an announcement
that said, "Tune to the most powerful radio or
TV station in your area." And that's all. It is not
reporting anything, so it is not part of EAS, as far
as I'm concerned.
Then I would go very quickly to do whatever else I had to do.
I think this is a very interesting subject. I don't see anything
wrong with reporting that something might be wrong. But
(all other ideas aside) I am not qualified to do any more than
that. Some of you other guys might be able to pursue a
different route. Right now, I can't even seem to get my
station back on the air!
Best Wishes,
Bruce, MICRO1690/1700
By calling the guys at part 15 "smart" you are making sure they will read every word you write because we want to know more about how great we are. What's more, we will think you understand us and believe in our cause because you realize we are smart.
You are a diplomat and you have our vote.
Your idea for a home-made EAS "cluster," all at once bringing in many comparative emergency messages, is a very interesting way to make the project fun.
It is good to have fun just before a major disaster.
It is good to have fun just before a major disaster.
You crack me up!
There could be an automatic part to this
involving my station. If the receivers trip
into the "live" mode it could trigger something
else.
A simple TTL circuit driving a set of relays (exactly how the EAS audio interrupt box works) to channel the audio from those receivers into your audio chain. Install this like the "big boys toys" do, right at the tail end of the audio chain and before the transmitter. Might also want to add a bypass switch in case you dont want it constantly interrupting your programs.
RFB
Well, if I had the ability - it would really be
fun to build the decoding thing.
In real life, I have a feeling I would be running
at high speed, for some finite amount of time.
Carl, you crack me up, too!
Bruce, MICRO1690/1700
And RFBurns, thanks for the
tech advice!
Well, if I had the ability - it would really be
fun to build the decoding thing.
Actually there is no need to decode the header data and tail data. The only thing that needs to be detected is the two-tone signals that are sent out right after the header data during a real emergency or weather warning. The header data merely identifies the station sending the test/warning as well as time information and trigger information to latch specific EAS units at specific stations and areas.
Since actual warnings include the old two-tone set, that is all that is needed to be detected for actual emergency messages. And the two-tone set never gets sent out on the weekly tests and monthly tests..only during actual emergency messages. This means that your station's programming wont be interrupted by mere tests, only when an actual emergency message is sent.
And RFBurns, thanks for the
tech advice!
No problem..glad to help and pass on knowledge. 🙂
RFB
If you had a device that was smart enough
to monitor all the broadcasts and identify
the fact that they were all talking about the
same thing -- then you wouldn't need EAS.
If all the stations were simulcasting the same
audio at the same time some sort of audio
comparator circuit could make the call. Otherwise
it would be a lot harder. Oh yeah - if all the
stations were off the air - well - it would really
be easy to make a circuit that would sense
that!
I guess we're really into science fiction now.
SERIOUSLY, though - I have really enjoyed
reading everything you guys have had to say.
Bruce, MICRO1690/1700
HOW does the Official Emergency Announcer relay his audio message out to the many stations?
IP?
Satellite?
Telephone?
Is the Emergency Audio Channel available closer to the relay signal so one would not be re-broadcasting a local station's signal?
HOW does the Official Emergency Announcer relay his audio message out to the many stations?
This is done simply by relaying via the EAS receivers which feed audio to a program interruption switch box. If you ever heard any NOAA weather warnings over the radio...it merely passes the NOAA radio audio through the interruption box and out to the transmitter.
So at the beginning of the chain...someone simply sits there and speaks into the mic feeding the first of the chain, and that simply passes down the line over the chain of stations feeding their respective EAS receivers audio to their transmitters etc. Its like loops in a chain forming a whole.
RFB
HOW does the Official Emergency Announcer relay his audio message out to the many stations?
Thats is something even I can answer.
For every market there are 2 dedicated alert stations.
One on AM, one on FM.
These stations are responsible for sending out the important EAS announcements.
From what I've heard the EAS box is simply tuned to the primary station.
Sometimes if its lightening real hard you can actually hear the crackles and pops on the EAS announcement
(I have heard this before)
-------Now--------
Heres what I do for emergencies for weather.
I generally know what the weather will be like.
I have a dedicated scanner tuned to NOAA and
is hooked up to my board.
If the weather is bad I will turn on the monitor
scanner and listen for the tones or Important info.
The second I start hearing tones I jump to my board
and flip a switch and boom, The alert goes over the air.
Of course this is just for weather.
------Supposedly-------
Supposedly there is a part 15 station in Terre Haute, IN that has EAS equipment and I have been told they are the 2nd primary to send out EAS alerts, I don't know how true this is, but that's what I was told.
Supposedly there is a part 15 station in Terre Haute, IN that has EAS equipment and I have been told they are the 2nd primary to send out EAS alerts, I don't know how true this is, but that's what I was told.
Here is the State of Indiana EAS Plan (Revised) which lists primary and secondary as well as a list of officials that can activate the system.
http://www.indianabroadcasters.org/information/easstatepolicy.pdf
The station list does show an AM station in Terre Haute, WBUZ AM 1230Khz
However the FCC AM Query DB shows BOTT Broadcasting as having filed application for 1Kw Class C ND2 on 1230Khz.
Interesting to say the least. 😀
RFB
I do a very similar thing, but there is another way: You can buy a SAME-compatible weather radio (programmed for my area), which sits in STBY mode until it hears the data burst and 1050Hz tone ... which is loud, and a real attention-getter. If, instead of the scanner which runs 24/7 (I turn it on overnight when I don't run any other program content), I put that into a board channel, it would just be quiet until SAME activates the radio.
What I need to do is write a little program that detects it and switches the program material running in the computer (iTunes playlist) to GB which has the board channels in it, then back to the playlist (still running) when and if the SAME alert quits and the weather radio falls back to STBY mode.
Shouldn't be too difficult ... I'll have to think on it for awhile.
Over at Radio Magazine EAS has been well covered.
This link tells about EAS equipment
http://radiomagonline.com/currents/eas-cap-equipment-2010/
And this link scrolls a whole group of EAS articles
http://radiomagonline.com/studio_audio/EAS/
Part15 stations have no need or right to use EAS system. The systems integrity is based upon the strict application of all its facets,which part15 cannot ever do. The LIABILITY of attempting to carry EAS alerts and screwing them up would be henious! War of the WORLDS comes to mind...I seem to remember that stations not assigned were strictly forbidden to carry the alerts.
A simpler solution is for all to carry local and national news services,monitor the old NOAA,now called the ALL HAZARDS radio system which will do exactly what we want. All local,state and federal agencies have access to ALL HAZARDS and it fills the need nicely.
Please forget all about using the EAS system...its the wrong tool for the job!